Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 16, 1940. w. G'. WINKLER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 13. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lo INVENTOR. WY/v/vs. C;- MAI/(AER.

W Ma M HIS ATTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WW LG. WINKLEE.

MW 4 5Z1...

Hi6" ATTORNEYS.

' Jan. 16, 1940. w. G. WINKLER REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 13, 1937 Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS .Wynne G. Winkler, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a

corporation of Delaware Application November 13, 1937, Serial No. 1742M 9 Claims.

a proved system of cooling and dispensing a heveragc such as beer or the like from containers.

another ohiect of my invention is to provide an improved heer container, keg or barrel having a cooling iiuid coil disposed therein and constructiii ed so as-to iacilitate the act of connecting same into or disconnecting same from a cooling and dispensing svstem. ii iurther ohject oi my invention is to provid u. hear ireg or harrel having a cooling iiuid coil normally disposed therein during transportation oi the beer barrel and which coil can he readily removed from the hog or barrel to permit thorough cleaning thereof in the conventional hrewerg harrel or ireg rotating and whirllngwashing h d machines.

it still i'urther ohioct oi my invention is to provide a eer hog or harrei with a removable head portion which carries valved tan or pipe connections and also has a cooling fluid coil secured to thereto so as to he removahie as a unit irom the ireg or harrel along with the removable head portion thereoi.

in carrving out the preceding ohieci's it is a :iurther and more specific object of my invention an to provide a loser keg or barrel with a removable head carrying integrally therewith valved tap or pipe connections and, a cooling fluid coil which ertends irom the head a substantial distance into the hog or barrel and is of such shape or aran," rangementas to spread same over a large area within the keg or barrel to uniformly and more emcientiv cool beer therein.

l urther objects and advantages or the present invention will be apparent from the vfollowing dem acriptlon, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form or the present invention is clearly shown.

in the drawings: l ig. l is a diagrammatic showing of a. cooling 5 and dispensing system having containers constructed in accordance with my invention located therein; a i

Fig. 2 is airagmentary enlarged vertical sec- I 'tional. view through one of ,the'beer kegs or bar-- rels of the system shown in Fig. 1 and disclosing a removable head having integral valved tap or to be attached to the tap means shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view oi" as valved pipe connection device carried hr the removable head portion or a keg or barrel; and

Fig. 6 is a view oi a key joint or connector 5 adapted to be attached to the device shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, lor idlustrating the present invention, it have shown in. hig. l thereol a beer cooling and dispensing system which in- W cludes a central cooling apparatus comprising an insulated liquid compartment or tonic it having a cooling element or evaporator ii ot a closed refrigerating svstem dhposed therein. The

closed refrigerating system includes a compressor M it connected to evaporator ii hp a conduit it and having another connection iii with a con-- denser it. lilotor i "i drives the compressor it, through suitahie helt and puller connections, and is controlled hp a switch it operated in response lid to the enpansion and contraction oil a hollows it connected to a thermostat it located within the liquid container or tanir. iii in the usual and wellto the temperature at refrigerant within the outlet end of the evaporator coil ii. 'llhe thermostat u 22 controls operations oi motor ii and conseouently compressor ii to maintain the cooling fluid or liquid in tank it between predetermined temperature limits.

The system shown in Fig. 1 also includes a plua rality of kegs or harrels it each having a coil 32 disposed therein. Une end oi each coil 32 has a pipe connection it with a cooling liquid distrihuting pipe 34 which communicates with a pump 35. Pump 3t communicates, through pipe 36, 45 with the cooling liouid contained in tank I0 and when operated lay a motor 31 forces the cooling liquid from tank ill into and through the coils 32. The opposite end of each coil 32 communicates, through a pipe 39, with a conduit (I 50 whichopens into the top of tank In and serves to return the cooling liquid circulated through coils 32 to the reservoir or tank It. Each keg or barrel II has a combined tap faucet and foam controlling device, generally represented by the I;

reference character 43, extending upwardly cally extending slots 8| provided in the enlarged therefrom and communicating with the interior of the barrel for dispensing beer therefrom. Each keg or barrel 3i also has a pipe line 44 communicating with the interior thereof through a valved joint, generally represented by the reference character 45, to be hereinafter more fully described. The pipe line 44 has suitable manually actuated shut-oil valves 48and a combined automatic regulating valve and indicating device 41 interposed therein. Pipe line 4d is connected, through device 4?, with a drum or tank 48 containing carbon dioxide under pressure. The combined regulating and indicating device 4? automatically maintains the beer within the kegs or barrels 3! at a predetermined desired pressure by continuously or intermittently admitting carbon dioxide into the kegs or barrels by way of pipe line M. The system shown in Fig. 1 is more or less conventional and well known to those skilled in the art and therefore a more detailed description thereof herein is believed unnecessary.

My invention relates particularly to the construction and arrangement of a beer keg or barrel for installation in a beer cooling and dispensing system such, for example, as the system illustrated in Fig. 1 whereby certain new results and advantages are obtained. Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings, 1 have shown the end 5! of one of the wood beer kegs or barrels 3i cut out as at 52 to provide a relatively large opening 53 in the end of the barrel. A metal ring 5 3, preferably split at one or more points to permit same to be inserted through the opening 53, is secured to the keg or barrel end Si by aplurality of screws or the 55. The ring 5% provides a mounting for a metal closure plate 56 of circular contour having a plurality of elements, to be presently described, secured thereto. A rubber, or the like, resilient gasket 57 is located between the plate 55 and the end 5:? of keg or barrel ill to seal the contents of the keg or barrel therein when bolts 58 are passed through the end wall 53 and threaded into the mounting ring 5 3. The cool- .ing fluid coil 32 located within keg or barrel 35 is mounted upon plate 55 by having its ends 55 and 62 which extend through the closure plate or head 55 welded or otherwise secured thereto.

The combined foam controlling and tap or faucet device 43 includes a metal member as (see Fig. 2) having a shank portion 65 welded or otherwise pel'manentiy secured to and extending through the plate 56. Member 64 forms a rigid integral part of the plate or head for mount-- ing the device 43 upon the keg or barrel 3!.

This member 64 has a cone-shaped valve seat 66 formed therein and adapted to receive a coneshaped sealing surface 6! provided on a valve 68. Valve 68 is enlarged at its upper end and threaded as at 69 upon an enlarged threaded opening H formed in member 64. -The enlarged upper end of valve 68 is provided with several small open.- lugs 12- which serve to permit beer to flow through the valve to device 43 when the valve surface 87 is moved from its seat 66 in a manner to be here inafter described. The member 84 has an enlarged outwardly extending peripheral portion 14' provided with shoulders 15 and 16 (see Fig. 3) The portion I4 and shoulders I5 and I6 of member 64 form a bayonet-like joint for receiving a removable collar-like part 18 (see Fig. 4) of the joint. The collar-like part 18 of the joint shown in vFig. 2 is provided with a pair of inwardly projecting lugs 19 which are adapted to slip hrough a pair of oppositely disposed and vertiportion 16 of member 64. When collar 18 shown in Fig. 4 is placed on member 64 it is rotated a quarter turn so as to cause the lugs 19 to fit under and engage the shoulder 15 provided on the member 65 to thus lock the two parts 64 and 18 of the bayonet-like joint tightly together. has its outer surface threaded as at 83 for receiving a threaded wing nut 85, (see Fig. 2). This nut 84 has an inwardly directed flanged portion 85 which clamps a flange 86, formed on a housing Bl of device 43, to member 65 with a gasket 88 therebetween. The housing Bl of device 43 has a horizontally extending outlet 89 at the top thereof connected to a faucet 9i.

Housing Bl is also provided with an opening in its top wall through which a valve stem 92 extends. Stem 92 is provided with a knurled head 93 at its outer end and a squared or the like key portion 94% at its inner end; The opening in housing Bl through which the stem 92 extends is sealed by a packing gland 95 and a nut 96. The squared or the like keg portion 96 of stem 92 fits into a similarly shaped opening 97 provided in valve 68 and, upon rotation of stem 92, for

a purpose to be hereinafter described, adjusts the valve 68 relative to its seat 68. A tap pipe 98 is welded or otherwise secured to the metal member B t and extends downwardly into the keg or barrel 34 to a point adjacent the bottom there- Collar 18 of and serves as an outlet conduit for the egress Valve iii? has an integral stem M5 extending below housing W1, and a spring Hi6 sur rounding this stem is compressed and secured in place by a washer it}? which holds the valve m2 against its seat 588 provided in the housing. The housing tilt is provided with a horizontal hole 99 located below plate 5% and disposed on the same plane with opening H33 in valve m2 so as to register therewith upon rotation of the valve. The upper end of housing it! is hollowed out as at iii and provided with an inwardly directed flange M2 which forms the stationary part of the bayonet-likevalved joint d5. Valve it! also has a key slot I 54 cut in its top surface for receiving a portion of a male member of the joint. This male member of the joint comprises two lugs M5 formed on a second valve housing I I B (see Fig. 6) The lugs H5 on housing H6 are adapted to pass through suitable slots H! provided in the flange He also moves the valve it! into a position whereby the hole 10d therein registers with the I hole are .in housing to! to open the passage through the normally closed joint 45. Housing i it contains a ball check valve I21 (see Fig. 1) normally forced against its seat I22 by a spring H3 bearing against a washer 124. The check .valve Hi is located in a passage I25 extending through housing H6 and connected to the pipe In providing the structu re above described, the use of new or specially constructed barrels orkegs is unnecessary since the present day wooden kegs or barrels are merely modified to accommodate the improved structure of the present invention by cutting the hole 53 in an end thereof.

The closure plate or head 56, coil 32, tap pipe lid, member Gland the valve 68 therein, together with housing IM and valve I02 disposed therein all iii)

are all secured together and secured to keg or barrel 3| as a unitary structure and transported to'and from the brewery as a unit. When this unit is received atthe brewery, the closure plate or head 56 and the elements secured thereto are removed from the keg or barrel 3| by removing the bolts 58. The removal of this unit permits the beer barrel or keg to be rotated, and whirled in the conventional brewery barrel washing machines to thoroughly clean the barrel or keg. The unitary barrel sealing structure, comprising the head or plate 56, coil 32, pipe, member 64 and the valve 63 thereintogether with the housing fill and valve I02 therein, is replaced upon the keg or barrel prior to filling same. The valve 68 within member 64 and the valve I02 within housing idll areboth normally closed after the barrel or keg 3i has been filled with beer so as to seal the beer within the barrel during transportation thereof to a place, such as the system shown in Fig. l, for dispensing the beer. At the place of installation of the barrel 3| for dispensing beer therefrom the tap faucet device i3 is first to be i attached to the'barrel. Therefore, collar id is placed over member to and rotated so that the lugs it thereon lock same to the enlarged head portion it of member lid. Thereafter, washer or gasket at is placed in positionon member M be heath the flange on housing 81 of device id. The wing nut M is lowered over flange do and tightly threaded upon the threads to formed on collar it to firmly hold the device dd upon the keg ti. Valve til, of course'being closed, must now be opened to permit how of beer through pipe llll to housing all and faucet ti. Therefore, stern lid is lowered relative to housing d'lL'by a pushing on the head at thereof, and rotated until the squared lower end M thereof engages the squared opening kl in valve 63. With the faucet ill in closed position, stem lid is rotated to move valve to upwardly within its housing member ti by movement of threads ht relative to threads "i II. This rotary movement of valve at is continued until its cone-shaped sealing surface till has moved a predetermined desired distance away from the cone shaped valve seat lit. Opening of valve thereby permits beer to flow from keg or barrel ill through the stationary tap pipe till and into housing ill of device till to the dispensing faucet lifter assembling the device ll-l upon the or barrel and preparatory to. dispensing beer from the barrel, the valved joint ill, connected with the carbon dioitlde pipe line lit, must be attached to the barrel.v To connect the one portion of the joint ll with the other portion thereof and to simultaneously open the passage through valve Hill, the lugs fill on housing lit are inserted into the open end i ii of housing Hill. The lugs llli enter the key slot lit provided in valve ltl and the housing II it is rotated a quarter turn to cause the lugs to tightly engage the flange i if and lock housing lit upon housing IN. This rotation of housing H3 and lugs I" simultaneously opens keg or barrel valve I02 or, in other words, rotates opening llll into registration with opening I39 to cause com munication of the passage I25 through the valved device 'with keg 3|. The pipes 33 and 33 of the liquid cooling circuit are then connected to the ends 63 and BI respectively of the coolingfluid coil 32 located within the keg or barrel 3|.

, The liquid contained in the insulated reservoir.

or tank Ill of the system shown in Fig. 1 and cooled by the evaporator ll of the refrigerating system is circulated by pump 35, by way of pipes 34 and 33, to the coil 32 to cool the beer in the 3|. The cooling liquid passes through coil 32 into pipes 39 and ll from where it flows, into" the tank and dissipates heat, absorbed from the beer, to the evaporator l. Valve .46 in pipe line 44, communicating with the valved device 45, is opened to permit carbon dioxide to flow from the container 48 and line 44 into the barrel 3| until a pressure, predetermined by the automatic regulating valve 43, has'been attained in the barrel. The beer upon being brought to the desired pressure and temperature is now ready to be dispensed through faucet 9|. Should the beer foam too much .or, on the other hand, not

enough stem 92 is rotated to adjust valve 38 relative to its seat Bil to thereby cause the beer to create a desired amount of foam. Thus the valve t3 serves a two-fold purpose since it is the device for tapping the barrel of beer and is also utilized as a foam control device. When the beer barrel is emptied, the dispensing device t3 and the one part i i6 of valved joint dill are removed from the keg or barrel and the pipe lines til, 39 and M are closed. The keg or barrel containing the unit comprising plate or head coil 32, pipe 98, member to and valve til therein together with housing ldi and'the valve flit disposed therein is again transported to the brewery where the units comprising the elements described and particularly the cooling coil tll'maybe bodily removed from the keg or barrel.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided an improvement in the construction and arrangement of unitary removable tapping and dispensing structuresfor beer kegs or barrels. lily providing a beer barrel with a unitary removable structure comprising a head having integrally formed therewith a tap device, a. cooling fluid coil and a pressure maintaining connection, the operation of tapping into the keg or barrel and installing same in a be cooling and dispensing system is greatly faoilie ad.

ll/ly improved removable unitary structure also permits thorough clean of the beer keg or barrel without danger of imaging parts thereof which are to be transpoted along with the keg or barrel after same been filled with beer. Furthermore, my im Jed structure permits spreading of the cooling rid coil over a large portion of the interior of e eg or barrel to thereby uniformly and more ciently cool the beer therein.

While the form of as herein disclosed, no. it is to be understood adopted, all coming which follow. 1

What is claimed is follows:

l. in combination 'tfltlil a beer barrel having an opening at one end thereof, a. structure includ ing a head plate removably secured to said barrel and normally closing the opening at said end thereof, said head plate having a plurality of nor rnelly closed fluid pipe connections provided dillid

therein and adapted to communicate with the interior of said barrel, conduit means secured to said head plate and extending therefrom a substantial distance into said barrel, said conduit means having its ends opening exteriorly of said barrel for connection with a cooling fluid circulating system, and said plurality of pipe connections and said conduit means being removable as a unit from said barrel with said head plate.

2. In combination with a beer barrel having an opening at one end thereof, a structure including a head plate removably secured to said barrel and normally closing the opening at said end thereof, said head plate having a plurality of normally closed fluid pipe connections provided therein and adapted to communicate wth the interior of said barrel, conduit means secured to said head plate and extending therefrom a substantial distance into said barrel, said conduit means having its ends opening exteriorly of said barrel for connection with a cooling fluid circulating system, one of said fluid pipe connections having a valve therein and providing an outlet for the flow of beer from said barrel, and said valve being adjustable to control the flow of beer from said barrel, and said plurality of pipe connections and said conduit means being removable as a unit from said barrel with said head plate.

3. In combination with a beer barrel having an opening at one end thereof, a structure including a head plate removably secured to said barrel and normally closing the opening at said end thereof, said head plate having a plurality of separate spaced apart normally closed fluid pipe connec-' tions provided therein and adapted to communicate with the interior of said barrel, a pipe coil secured to said head plate and extending therefrom a substantial distance into said barrel, said coil having its convolutions widely spread apart to extend the coil throughout the major portion of the height of the barrel, said coil having its ends opening exteriorly of said barrel for connection with a. cooling fluid circulating system, and said plurality of pipe connections and said coil being removable as a unit from said barrel with said head plate.

4. In combination with a beer barrel having an opening at one end thereof, a structure including a head plate removably secured to said barrel and normally closing the opening at said end thereoi,

said head plate having a plurality of separate spaced apart normally closed fluid pipe connections provided therein and adapted to communicate with the interior of said barrel, a pipe coil secured to said head plate and extending therefrom a. substantial distance into said barrel, said coil having its convolutions widely spread apart to extend the coilthroughout the major portion of the height of the barrel, said coil having its nds opening exteriorly of said barrel for connec tion with a cooling fluid circulating system, one of said fluid pipe connections having a valve therein and providing an outlet .tor the flow-of beer from said barrel, and said valve being adjustable to control the flow of beer from said barrel, and said plurality of pipe connections and said coil being removable as a unit from said barrel with said head plate.

5. A unitary removable dispensing and cooler head for a beer barrel, comprising a plate adapted to close an opening in an end of the barrel, a coil of pipe extending from said plate for insertion into the barrel, a plurality of valved pipe connections secured to said plate, and one of said valved connections providing an outlet for the flow of beer through said unitary head.

6. A unitary removable dispensing and cooler head for a beer barrel, comprising a plate of circular contour adapted to close an opening in an end of the barrel, a coil of pipe extending from said plate for insertion into the barrel, said coil of pipe having its ends secured to and extending through said plate, a plurality of valved pipe connections secured to said plate, and one of said valved connections providing an outlet for the flow of beer through said unitary head.

'7. A unitary removable dispensing and cooler head for a beer barrel, comprising a plate of circular contour adapted to close an opening in an end of the barrel, a coil of pipe extending from said plate for insertion into the barrel, said coil of pipe having its ends secured to and extending through said plate, the convolutions of said coil of pipe being widely spread apart to extend the coil a substantial distance into a barrel, a plurality of pipe connections secured to said plate, and one of said pipe connections having a normally closed valve therein adapted to be opened to provide an outlet for the flow of beer through said unitary head.

8. A unitary removable dispensing and cooler head for a beer barrel, comprising a plate of circular contour adapted to close an opening in an end of the barrel, a coil of pipe extending from said plate for insertion into the barrel, said coil of pipe having its ends secured to and extending through said plate, a plurality of valved pipe connections secured to said plate, one of said valved pipe connections providing an outlet for the flow of beer through said unitary head, and the valve in said one of said valved pipe connections being adjustable for controlling said outlet.

9. In combination with a beer barrel having an opening at one end thereof, a structure including a head plate detachably secured to said barrel and normally closing the opening at said end thereof, said head plate having a normally closed fluid pipe connection provided therein and adapted to communicate with the interior of said barrel,

conduit means secured to said head plate and extending therefrom a substantial distance into said barrel, said conduit means having its ends sealed-to said plate and opening exteriorly of said barrel, said conduit means being adapted to -be connected with a cooling fluid system for circulating cooling fluid therethrough and in intimate heat exchange relation with beer in said barrel, and said pipe connection and said conduit means being removable as a unit from said barrel with said head plate.

WYNNE G. W'INKLER. 

